Fattūsh is derived from the Arabic fatt “crush” and the suffix of Turkic origin -ūsh. Coining words this way was common in Syrian Arabic as well as in other dialects of Arabic.

Though fattoush is Lebanese salad but it has now become one of the favorite food of Saudi Arabia. You can have this salad as breakfast or as an appetizer for lunch. This salad is amazingly tasty and good for health. I had not tasted Fattoush earlier and wasn’t familiar with the name. In December 2011, during my business trip I visited Saudi Arabia. I tried different cuisines – Arabian food, Pakistani, Chinese, Lebanese, south Indian, American, sea food – All that I could get to eat in Saudi. But the oomph factor comes from Fattoush salad. The colorful, refreshing, crunchy taste lifts up your spirits and it is absolutely healthy, nutritious and will help you in diet control without you losing onto your Vitamins and Minerals!
Secret Ingredient – Sumac is added to this dish, however if you don’t have it handy, you can skip it. Sumac is a spice made from the dried fruit of Rhus coriaria, a straggly shrub native to southern Europe and Turkey. This  rusty red powder is widely used in Middle Eastern and North African cooking, where it is much esteemed for its sourness and astringency.
So here I present fattoush salad, this recipe I got from one of my Saudi client when he invited us for lunch.
The pic shown here doesn’t have lettuce and pita bread.
Fattoush Salad Recipe :

A Lebanese salad. Crunchy pieces of toasted pita bread are added to a wonderful mix
Fattoush (Toasted Bread Salad). Crunchy pieces of toasted pita bread are added to a wonderful mix
of fresh garden vegetables tossed in a basic oil and lemon juice dressing.
Serves 6
1 pita bread (7” in diameter)
½ cucumber – cut into small cubes without peeling (1 cup)
½ cup shredded lettuce
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley (optional)

1 green bell peper – chopped
1 yellow bell peper – chopped
1. red bell peper – chopped
2 tomatoes – cut into ½” pieces, 4 green onions – chopped with the white portion
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint (poodina), 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander
DRESSING
8-10 flakes of garlic – crushed , ½ cup virgin olive oil
½ tsp salt, a pinch of black pepper powder
Sumac -if not available use lemon juice then
3 tbsp lemon juice.(use it when sumac is not available )

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Split the
bread in half through the centre and bake
on a baking tray for 15 minutes, or until
golden and crisp
2. Break the pita bread into pieces.
3. To make the dressing, whisk all the
ingredients together in a bowl, until it
blends well.
4. Mix all the salad vegetables and add half
of the dressing.
5. Add bread at serving time. Pour the
remaining dressing. Toss to mix. Serve.

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